


Shatter

by atoxicrose



Series: Anthem [2]
Category: F.E.A.R. (Video Games)
Genre: Explicit Language, Gen, I wrote this for me but you can read it too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2020-03-30 03:23:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19033768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atoxicrose/pseuds/atoxicrose
Summary: Lillie Black makes a choice.





	Shatter

_Columbia River Riding School and Stable_  
Columbia, New Jersey, United States  
10 November, 2025  
7:10 PM 

The stall is dark except for the light that filters through the bars from the aisle, adding more strips to the brown gelding’s spotted coat. Lily Black stands with her cheek pressed to Koda’s shoulder, listening to his rhythmic chewing.

After receiving Koda, her first horse, at the age of twelve, Lily discovered the best place to have a good cry was in her horse’s stall with her cheek pressed to his shoulder. Even though she is now thirty, she found it still held true.

Lillie sniffs and wipes her cheeks. Koda lifts his head from her pile of hay and looks around at Lillie, still chewing. Lillie gives him a watery smile and boops his nose.

“Good boy,” she murmurs absently. “That’s enough crying for tonight, yeah? Payton’s waiting. Just lemme throw your sheet on.”

Lillie slips out of the stall and grabs Koda’s sheet off the bar on the door. She unbuckles the blanket’s straps, throws it over Koda’s back and then refastens them around him.

“Good boy,” Lillie sighs again and gives Koda a pat on the rump as she exits the stall. “See you tomorrow.”

Izzie just finished watering and is in the process of dragging the horse cart back into the tack room when Lillie passes. Lillie pauses to help her lift the back end over the door jam.

“Thanks,” Izzie mutters, pushing the cart into place next to the sink.

“Have a good night, Iz.”

“Thanks. You too.”

Lillie takes the stairs at the end of the aisle up to the office to get her bag and keys. Tyler is there, typing away on the computer, Louie and Rosie at his feet. Cali is sleeping on the couch next to Bosco. Lillie swings her bag over her shoulder, grabs her keys and whistles for her dogs. Cali slides off the couch, stretches and walks over. It takes a few nudges from Ty to get Louie and Rosie up and moving.

“Night, Ty.”

“Night, Lil.”

Lillie leads her pack out onto the landing and picks up Louie and Rosie. They’re getting old and the stairs are steep. With a Corgi under each arm, Lillie carefully descends the stairs after Cali. She sets the dogs down and heads for the door. Just as she reaches for the knob, the door swings open.

“Oh, sorry.”

Lillie's stomach drops. “Adam? What are you doing here?”

Adam steps through the door, using one foot to prevent Cali from slipping out. He looks exhausted.

“A, what are you doing here?” Lillie asks again.

Adam sighs and runs a hand over his face. “Get your sister, Lil,” is all he says before moving past her to the office steps.

Lillie jogs down the aisle. Izzie is just starting to sweep the grain room.

“Izzie.”

“Yeah?”

“Adam’s here.”

The broom in Izzie's hands clatters to the floor. Lillie walks over and puts her arms around her.

“They’re dead, aren’t they?” Izzie's voice trembles..

“I don’t know.”

“Why else would he be here? If they were alive he’d have called. They’d have called.”

“Maybe,” Lillie says. “Only one way to find out.”

Lillie takes Ixxie's hand and they walk to the office together.

Adam and Tyler are standing talking in the middle of the room.

Lillie nudges Bosco off the couch and sits down, Izzie beside her. Ty perches on the arm.

“Well?”

Adam sighs. “No one escaped the city. But,” adds quickly as Izzie begins to cry, “that doesn’t mean they’re dead. There are thousands still trapped.”

Tyler frowns. “What do you mean ‘trapped?’”

Adam is silent for a moment. “You know how Armacham took over from the National Guard?”

“Yes.”

“Since Armacham took over, no one has left the city.”

Izzie groans, wiping her cheeks. “Oh god, Adam, this is not the time for another one of your stupid conspiracy theories! You’re thirty-seven for fuck’s sake! Grow up!”

“It’s not a theory, Izzie, it’s fact. According to Armacham, everyone is dying from radiation poisoning.”

“And you think they aren’t?” Izzie’s voice is shrill.

“Everyone? That seems a little improbable.”

Izzie folds her arms across her chest. “So, what do you think is really happening, then?”

Adam hesitates. “There’s rumors they’re killing everyone.”

“Why would they do that?”

“They’re trying to cover something up.”

“Cover what up?”

“The fact that the blast wasn’t terrorists, it originated from Armacham itself.”

“Armacham slaughtered their own employees?”

“Their army of clones went rogue.”

“Their… army of clones… went rogue?”

“Yes.”

“And nuked the city?”

“No, it wasn’t a bomb that exploded.”

“What was it, them?”

“The nuclear reactor of one of their secret facilities.”

“Why’d it explode?”

“We're not sure.”

“So,” Izzie begins in a deceptively calm voice, “you’re telling me Armacham’s army of clones went rogue, attacked their headquarters and somehow the very same day the nuclear reactor of one of their secret facilities exploded for unknown reasons and now Armacham is trying to cover it up by killing all the civilians in Fairport.”

“Yes.”

Izzie laughs, a wild and out of control sound. She jumps to her feet and smacks her brother across the face. 

“Adam Daxton Comeler what the fuck is wrong with you?!” she screams, voice cracking. “Our parents are dead! Our friends and family are dead and you’re still looking for your fucking conspiracies. You’re fucked in the head! Fucked!” 

She storms out of the room and slams the door behind her. They can hear her pound down the steps and then the barn door slams. Tyler sighs and goes after her. She’s in no fit state to drive.

Lillie just sits there, numb.

“Well, that went about as well as I expected,” Adam says after a moment. He sinks down onto the couch beside Lillie and buries his face in his hands. His shoulders shake and Lillie realizes he’s crying. She scoots over and puts her arms around Adam’s neck.

“I believe you,” she says quietly, resting her head on his shoulder. “I don’t know why, but I believe you.”

When Lillie reaches the bottom of the office steps, she finds Tyler consoling Izzie in the sitting area at the top of the aisle by the door.

“C’mon, Iz, I’ll take you home,” Lilie says, patting her sister’s shoulder.

“But – my car –“

“I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning. Let’s go.”

Lillie loads up the dogs and her sister in the truck and drives home in silence.

Lillie finally gets home at half past eight. She lets the dog into the house and strips off her coat and boots in the garage before entering herself. The house is dark except for one light in the living room she left on for her cockatiel, Payton. She turns on the lights in the kitchen on her way to through. She opens Payton’s cage before heading back to the kitchen to feed the dogs and make herself dinner.

As she eats, she texts Adam

_Hey, you got somewhere to sleep tonight?_

_nah I’ll find a hotel_

_I’ve got a spare bedroom. I’ll leave the front door unlocked._

_thanks sis_

Lillie puts the bird back in his cage, unlocks the front door and goes up to shower. When she comes back down afterword, she finds Adam on the couch in the living watching the evening news.

“Shower’s open,” she says.

“Thanks.” He makes no move to get up.

Lillie lets the dogs out and sits down at the dining room table and pulls out her phone. She doesn't have the strength or the time to vlog, instead she pulls up the Twitter app and makes a text post.

_Adam’s back from Buffalo. No one made it out._

She isn’t looking for sympathy from her fans, she just wants them to know. To know why it might be a long, long time before she posts anything again.


End file.
